Grip tester



l 1,040,030 Agg' 23' 1927' w. K. EDWARDS GRIP TESTER Aug- 23 1927' w. K. EDWARDS GRIP TESTER Filed Nov. 26. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet '2 Patented Aug. 23, 1927.

UNITED STAT-ES WILLIAM K. EDWARDS, VF BIG SPRING, TEXAS.

GRIP TESTER.

. e Application led November 26, ,1926. Serial.N'Io..2L,5 0-92 8.

The invention relates to a machine vfor testing the muscular st-rength of the hand and arm and for registering in pounds the amount of force developed in the grip of any person. Preferably, and as herein shown, the machine is under the control of'a coin, whereby it maybe used in stores, or various places of amusement asa source of revenue.

In the accompanying drawings which illo lustrate a preferred embodiment o-f the invention;

Figure 1 is aside elevation with one of the panels of the enclosing casing removed;

. Figure`2 is a sectionalview on line 2 2, l5 Figure 1; l

Figure-3 is a sectional plan view on line 3-3, Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a sectional detail view onthe line 4 4, Figure 1. v The machine is enclosed in a box or casing l, preferably having yremovable sides 3#3.

A metal frame 5, preferably composed fof.

' acstrip ofviron orthe like is provided with two inwardly turned flanges 6, 6, which are rsupported upon two `tubes 8 whose forward ends project through apertures in the front wall of the casing 1. The rear ends of the tubes 8 are joined by a bar 10 which is engaged by the fingers of the hand during the grip testing operation. A bar 12 located tc the rear ofthe bar 10 carries parallelrods 14 which are received by and slide ,freely in the tubes 8, the rods 14 projecting beyond the ends of the tubes within thecasing ,1, and through a plate 16 of heavy material to which they are clamped by nuts 17 A strong spiral spring 18 is conlined between the plate 16 and the flat portion v20.

of the frame 5, and' aguiding and centering rod 22 passes through perforations in the portion 20 ofthe frame and plate 16, said rod being threaded at its-outer end, and also passing through a perforation in therear wall of the casing 1 to which it is clampedI by nuts 23, 24, suitable washers being preferably interposed between said nuts and the vertical wall of the casing. The'rod 22 is clamped against the portion 20 of theframe 5 b a nut 26 which is received upon V the threat ed rear -end of said'rod. i

An arm 27 is provided with a perforation to receive the' inner end of the upper. rod 14 anda nut 28 has threaded connection with the extreme end of said rod and clamps the arm 27 against the plate 16. The outerend of the arm 27 carries an extensionl 29 which .29, rod 30, lever 32, segmentiv34 and pinion latter is perforated to receive the bent end .of a Arod 30.( The opposite end of this rod which is fast to a shaft 40 whose outer end carries theusual pointer to move over a dial Aplate in the dial y,frame :44. ,The dial plate and pointer are j noty shown herein as the same ,aref of common construction and of vention. f

With the parts as thus described, when themselves form nojpart of the present in- ,thebars 10 and 12 are grasped by the hand I ofa p erson who desiresto test his grip, and acgripping pressure is applied to force the bar .12,toward the lbar 10 such pressure isy resisted by the strong spring 18, andthe strength Yexerted ,in lthe effort to force the 'bar 12 rearwardly will be, met with increased resistance due to lthe lcompression of .the spring. ,Movement ofthe bar,12 rearwardly will impart'rotative movement ,to the pointer ,mounted on the shaft 40, through the connections affor'dedlby the arm 27, extension 38. ,The extent of rotation of the pointer over the .dia-l will register, as the pointer passes over the numerals on the dial, in

poundsthe gripping pressure applied to the bars 12, 10, when the dial is calibrated `and the various parts areproperly adjusted vto the prcssurefresistance ofthe spring .18. The description ofthe operation of the device' thus far proceeds uponthetheory that the same is,free.to operate at alltimes by v i,novenient of theplate 16 under the force `vimparted thereto yby the handle 12, in its Vmovement toward therearportion 2O ofthe v casing 5. The machine, however, is provided with a locking device which normally prevents its operation, except .when said de- 10o vice isifreed by the insertion ofr a coin.

A perforatedfbraclret 46 is suitably clamped tothe portion 20, and a Vlocking barf48has its rear end L48fbent atright angles and isV received` withinV the perforation of the bracket/46' so as to swing horizontally from said bracket. Theforward end ofthe bar 48 is provided with anotch 49 adapted to engage ,withthe :plate16 as shown in Figure 3, and thus `prevent the plate from lbeing forced rearwardly to compress the spring 18.l A torsionspring 80ris connectedatone '49 from the plate 16.

terminal with the bent end 48a of the bar 48 and has its other terminal anchored at 8Oa to the portiony20 of the frame. Said spring exerts a normal tendency to'swing the bar 48 outwardly to move the notched end 49 of the bar out of engagement with the plate 16. y v

A bell crank 50 is provided with afulcrum shaft or stud 51 which is pivoted to brackets extending inwardlyfrom the rear part 20 of the frame. One arm 50a of said bell crank is pivotally connected with one end of a pin 52 which passes through an aperture in the bar 48, and a spiral spring 53 surrounds a part of the pin, and is confined between the bar 48 and a projecting portion or head 54 on the outer end of the pin. The other arm, 55, of the bell crank 50 carries a perforated 'lug 56 through which slides a rod 58, the other end of said rod being fastened to the arm 27, and a spiral spring 60 surrounds the rod 58 and is confined between said arm and the lug 56. Y

A coin chute 62 leads from a coin slot 63 at the top of the casing 1 downwardly within the casing, the discharge end of the chute being located immediately over one arm of a trigger 64 which is pivoted at 65 on a stud projecting from the face of a plate 66 eX? tending rearwardly from the rear wall or portion 2O of thev frame 5.V This plate is yprovided with an upward eXtension'68 having a vertical slot therein (see Figure 1) and a latch 70 is supported for vertical pivotal movements on the arm 50a of the bell crank 50. yThe forward end of said latch is received in the slot in the extension 68, and has a notch 74 Vto engage the edge of said extension at the bottom of the slot. A spring 72 is mounted upon the arm 55 of the bell crank and extends over the latch, said springl normally acting to press the latch downwardly in the slot of the extension 68 so as to hold the latch in locking engagement with said extension, thereby preventing rotation of the bell crank 50, and hence preventing outward movement of the locking bar 48 to permit rearward movement ofthe plate 16 and compression of the spring 18.V As long as the latch 70 remains in locking engagement with the eXtension68 the machine is locked against operation, but as soon as said latch is raised the spring 80 instantly acts to move the bar 48 and bell crank 50 outwardly, to disengage the notch rlhis yunlocking movement of the latch is effected when a coin of the proper denomination is introduced in the coin chute. the weight of said coin being sufficient to overbalance a weight 85, carried by the short arm of the trigger 64, which weight is sufcient to normally7 depress the short arm of the trigger and raise vthe other arm of the latter which extends beneath the coin chute. When a coin has thus 58, and spring 60, acting through theY hell crank, rod 52 and spr rg 53 will swingI the locking bar 48 on its pivot inwardly with a yielding pressure, and cause the notched end of said bar to bear against theedge of the plate 16, and at the same time the `movement of the bell crank wiilcarry the latch in a forward direction vthrough the slot of the extension 68 until the notch in said latch engages the lower edge of thel slot. 'y Upon release of the handle 12 the spring 18 will return the plate 16 to its forward position, thus permitting the shoulder of thevnoteh 49 to engage the front face of the plate under the action of the spring 53. It will kbe understood that after the latch has been locked to the extension 68 the torsion spring 80 will be inoperative to swing the bar 48 Voutwardly and away from locking engagement with the plate 16.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the gripping mechanism is at allV times locked against operative movement to test the grip, except immediately after a coin of the proper denomination has been introduced in the coin chute, and that after a-test of the grip is made and the parts Vare returned to normal position the locking mechanism will be automatically effective to maintain them locked in such position until another coin has been inserted in the chute.

I claim as my invention:

1. Inl a muscular testing'Y device of the character described, the combination of grip resisting means, handles Vfor operating the 2. In a muscular testing device the combi.- Y

nation of lgrip resisting means. a movable handle for operating said means. a locking bar to prevent movement of said handle, resilient means to rotate said bar out of locking engagement with a moving part of the machine, means including a bell crank and latch carried thereby for holding the locking means in position to prevent operation of the .machine, and coin controlledineans for tripping said latch.

3. A grip testing device comprising relatively movable handles,- grip 'resistingl means operated by movement of one `of said handles, a rotating locking bar to prevent movement of said handle, means including the bell crank and latch carried thereby to prevent unlocking of said bar, a spring' to effect such unlocking movement when permitted, coin controlled means for releasing said latch, and means for restoring the locking bar to position for engaging a movable part of the machine, said restoring means including a yielding element.

4. A grip testing machine comprising a movable handle, a spring arranged to be put under compression by movement of said handle, registering means actuating by movement of the handle, a plate interposed be- WILLIAM K. EDWARD S. 

